September 2016 Reflection

It’s that time of year, just after Labor Day with the last hurrah completed and late Summer, ever so subtly, begins to turn into Fall. Back to school for some, less crowds at the beaches and a certain feeling of calmness seems to linger in the air. There is a sense of change, planning and setting new intentions filled with optimism. Time for some reflection.

How often to you carve out time for some self-reflection? Creating time for introspection in order to observe and examine your personal feelings, thoughts and intentions for deeper meaning and explanation can lead to a more fulfilling life.

Self-Reflection can be a valuable intention to include in your day, week or month. Some of us may find we need introspection more often perhaps 10-15 minutes daily and others may find a weekend get-away or a time out period over a weekend once a month provides, the needed amount of time to regain perspective on what is happening or what you would like to see happen in your life.

Integrating introspection consistently into your life can be more enlightening and revealing than you might expect:

Reflecting helps bring awareness on anything that is not currently working in your life and what might be the cause, such as negative habits, patterns or toxic situations. Ask yourself what can you delegate, compromise on or eliminate (if necessary and possible)? Are you limiting yourself or holding yourself back in some area and if so, how is this effecting your progress, emotions and perspective on life? Then, consider the various options and solutions available and which one(s) might be the best to start with and notice how any “stressors” soon begin to dissolve.

Time for introspection helps us create or fine tune a goal, dream or intention. Perhaps there is a mandatory course you need to take to complete a program or certification and it is causing added stress in your life. However, by not completing the course, you cannot receive the credentials necessary for your career plans. Our daily rounds and tasks have more meaning when we know what our overall goal or intention is and what experiences and situations we would like to have in our future. In times of delay or frustration reminding yourself what you would like to accomplish can help create more optimism and a positive vibe.

Reflection can help us gain perspective on our quality of life and our happiness. Are you surrounding yourself with positive people who can uplift you, learn from and enjoy time with? If not, then what steps can you take to ensure you are in contact more often with people who inspire you? Are there certain accomplishments you are most proud of and might like to create some new accomplishments? If so, consider taking the initiative more often in planning events or taking on a new project.

Finally, introspection can greatly improve the major life choices you are making. Reflecting on what is truly important to you, what you truly believe and knowing what is absolutely a wrong or right choice for you. Seeking advice from others can be helpful however, listening to your intuition (your gut instinct) and your conscious is what will help lead you toward your intentions and goals.

Never taking time out for some self-reflection and deep introspection, can cause us to become disconnected, frustrated and lose focus on the life we wish to live and we will often continue to block or limit ourselves to our full potential. To see different results, start making reflection a priority.What are you doing to make things better in your life?